Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective comprises: a first objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging directly onto the image plane; wherein a first concave mirror having a first continuous mirror surface and at least one second concave mirror having a second continuous mirror surface are arranged upstream of the second intermediate image; pupil surfaces are formed between the object plane and the first intermediate image, between the first and the second intermediate image and between the second intermediate image and the image plane; and all concave mirrors are arranged optically remote from a pupil surface.

Abstract: A projection exposure lens has an object plane, optical elements for separating beams, a concave mirror, an image plane, a first lens system arranged between the object plane and the optical elements for separating beams, a second double pass lens system arranged between the optical elements for separating beams and the concave mirror, a third lens system arranged between the optical elements for separating beams and the image plane. The second lens system has a maximum of five lenses.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective comprises: a first objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging directly onto the image plane; wherein a first concave mirror having a first continuous mirror surface and at least one second concave mirror having a second continuous mirror surface are arranged upstream of the second intermediate image; pupil surfaces are formed between the object plane and the first intermediate image, between the first and the second intermediate image and between the second intermediate image and the image plane; and all concave mirrors are arranged optically remote from a pupil surface.

Abstract: An imaging system for imaging an off-axis object field arranged in an object surface of the imaging system onto an off-axis image field arranged in an image surface of the imaging system while creating at least one intermediate image has: an optical axis; an in-line mirror group having an object side mirror group entry, an image side mirror group exit and a mirror group plane aligned transversly to the optical axis and arranged geometrically between the mirror group entry and the mirror group exit, the mirror group including: a first mirror having a first mirror surface for receiving radiation coming from the object surface in a first reflecting area asymmetric to the optical axis; at least one second mirror having a second mirror surface facing the first mirror surface for receiving radiation coming from the first mirror in a second reflecting area asymmetric to the optical axis; at least one of the first and second mirrors being a concave mirror having a concave mirror surface defining a mirror axis on the

Abstract: In some embodiments, the disclosure provides an optical system, in particular an illumination system or a projection lens of a microlithographic exposure system, having an optical system axis and at least one element group including three birefringent elements each of which includes optically uniaxial material and having an aspheric surface, wherein a first birefringent element of the group has a first orientation of its optical crystal axis, a second birefringent element of the group has a second orientation of its optical crystal axis, wherein the second orientation can be described as emerging from a rotation of the first orientation, the rotation not corresponding to a rotation around the optical system axis by an angle of 90° or an integer multiple thereof, and a third birefringent element of the group has a third orientation of its optical crystal axis, wherein the third orientation can be described as emerging from a rotation of the second orientation, the rotation not corresponding to a rotation aroun

Abstract: A projection objective for microlithography serves for imaging a pattern of a mask arranged in its object surface into an image field arranged in its image surface with a demagnifying imaging scale. It has a multiplicity of optical elements arranged along the optical axis of the projection objective, the optical elements being designed and arranged in such a way that the projection objective has an imageside numerical aperture NA>0.85 and a demagnifying imaging scale where |b|<0.05, and the planar image field having a minimum image field diameter suitable for microlithography of more than 1 mm.

Abstract: An illumination system (12) of a microlithographic exposure apparatus (10) comprises a condenser (601; 602; 603; 604; 605; 606) for transforming a pupil plane (54) into a field plane (62). The condenser has a lens group (L14, L15, L16, L17; L24, L25, L26, L27, L28; L34, L35, L36, L37; L44, L45, L46; L53, L54, L55) that contains a plurality of consecutive lenses. These lenses are arranged such that a light bundle (70) focused by the condenser (601; 602; 603; 604; 605) on an on-axis field point (72) converges within each lens of the lens group. At least one lens (L15, L16, L17; L25, L26; L34, L44, L45; L54) of the lens group has a concave surface. The illumination system may further comprise a field stop objective (66; 666, 666?) that at least partly corrects a residual pupil aberration of the condenser (601; 602; 603; 604; 605; 606).

Abstract: A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has a last optical element on the image side which is plane on the image side and which, together with an image plane of the projection objective, delimits an immersion space in the direction of an optical axis of the projection objective. This immersion space can be filled with an immersion liquid. At least one liquid or solid volume having plane-parallel interfaces can be introduced into the beam path of the projection objective, the optical thickness of the at least one volume being at least substantially equal to the optical thickness of the immersion space. By introducing and removing the volume, it is possible to convert the projection objective from dry operation to immersed operation in a straightforward way, without extensive adjustments to the projection objective or alignment work.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective comprises: a first objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging directly onto the image plane; wherein a first concave mirror having a first continuous mirror surface and at least one second concave mirror having a second continuous mirror surface are arranged upstream of the second intermediate image; pupil surfaces are formed between the object plane and the first intermediate image, between the first and the second intermediate image and between the second intermediate image and the image plane; and all concave mirrors are arranged optically remote from a pupil surface.

Abstract: A purely refractive projection objective suitable for immersion microlithography is designed as a single-waist system with five lens groups, in the case of which a first lens group with negative refractive power, a second lens group with positive refractive power, a third lens group with negative refractive power, a fourth lens group with positive refractive power and a fifth lens group with positive refractive power are provided. A constriction site of narrowest constriction of the beam bundle lies in the region of the waist. A waist distance AT exists between the object plane and the constriction site X. The condition AT/L?0.4 holds for a distance ratio AT/L between the waist distance AT and an object-image distance L of the projection objective. Embodiments of inventive projection objectives reach very high numerical apertures NA>1.1 in conjunction with a large image field and are distinguished by a compact overall size and good correction of the lateral chromatic aberration.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a projection objective for lithography includes an optical arrangement of optical elements between an object plane and an image plane. The arrangement generally has at least one intermediate image plane, the arrangement further having at least two correction elements for correcting aberrations, of which a first correction element is arranged optically at least in the vicinity of a pupil plane and a second correction element is arranged in a region which is not optically near either a pupil plane or a field plane.

Abstract: An optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus (10) contains a module (50; 150), which can be fitted in the optical system and removed from it as a unit. The module contains a cavity (42; 142) which can be completely filled with a liquid (34; 134) and hermetically sealed, and a concavely curved optical surface (S) which bounds the cavity at the top during operation of the projection exposure apparatus (10). This makes it possible to fill the module outside the optical system, The module can be tilted there so that no air bubble, which prevents complete filling, can form below the concavely curved optical surface.

Abstract: Projection exposure methods and systems for exposing substrates are disclosed. The methods and systems feature projection objectives capable of multiple exposure configurations having different image side numerical apertures and different image field sizes.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective comprises: a first objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging directly onto the image plane; wherein a first concave mirror having a first continuous mirror surface and at least one second concave mirror having a second continuous mirror surface are arranged upstream of the second intermediate image; pupil surfaces are formed between the object plane and the first intermediate image, between the first and the second intermediate image and between the second intermediate image and the image plane; and all concave mirrors are arranged optically remote from a pupil surface.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective comprises: a first objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging directly onto the image plane; wherein a first concave mirror having a first continuous mirror surface and at least one second concave mirror having a second continuous mirror surface are arranged upstream of the second intermediate image; pupil surfaces are formed between the object plane and the first intermediate image, between the first and the second intermediate image and between the second intermediate image and the image plane; and all concave mirrors are arranged optically remote from a pupil surface.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective comprises: a first objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging directly onto the image plane; wherein a first concave mirror having a first continuous mirror surface and at least one second concave mirror having a second continuous mirror surface are arranged upstream of the second intermediate image; pupil surfaces are formed between the object plane and the first intermediate image, between the first and the second intermediate image and between the second intermediate image and the image plane; and all concave mirrors are arranged optically remote from a pupil surface.

Abstract: The invention concerns imaging systems, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, for imaging a mask which can be positioned in an object plane of the imaging system on to a photosensitive layer which can be positioned in an image plane of the imaging system. An imaging system according to the invention comprises: an object plane-side subsystem which produces a first intermediate image with an object plane-side imaging scale ?o, at least one further subsystem which produces a further intermediate image between the first intermediate image and the image plane, and an image plane-side subsystem which images the further intermediate image into the image plane with an image plane-side imaging scale ?i, wherein the condition 0.75??o*?i?1.25 is satisfied.

Abstract: A purely refractive projection objective suitable for immersion microlithography is designed as a single-waist system with five lens groups in the case of which a first lens group of negative refractive power, a second lens group of positive refractive power, a third lens group of negative refractive power, a fourth lens group of positive refractive power and a fifth lens group of positive refractive power are provided. The fourth lens group has an entrance surface (E) that lies in the vicinity of a point of inflection of a marginal ray height between the third lens group (LG3) and the fourth lens group (LG4). No negative lens of substantial refractive power is arranged between the entrance surface and the system diaphragm (5). Embodiments of inventive projection objectives achieve a very high numerical aperture NA>1 in conjunction with a large image field and are distinguished by a compact design size.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for projecting a pattern arranged in the object plane of the projection objective into the image plane of the projection objective, having: a first objective part for projecting an object field lying in the object plane into a first real intermediate image; a second objective part for generating a second real intermediate image with the radiation coming from the first objective part; a third objective part for generating a third real intermediate image with the radiation coming from the second objective part; and a fourth objective part for projecting the third real intermediate image into the image plane.

Abstract: A reduction projection objective for projection lithography has a plurality of optical elements configured to image an effective object field arranged in an object surface of the projection objective into an effective image field arranged in an image surface of the projection objective at a reducing magnification ratio |?|<1. The optical elements form a dry objective adapted with regard to aberrations to a gaseous medium with refractive index n?<1.01 filling an image space of finite thickness between an exit surface of the projection objective and the image surface. The optical elements include a largest lens having a maximum lens diameter Dmax and are configured to provide an image-side numerical aperture NA<1 in an effective image field having a maximum image field height Y?. With COMP=Dmax/(Y?·(NA/n?)2) the condition COMP<15.8 holds.